Game ball release



June 28, 1932. v SANDQ L v 1,864,945

GAME BALL RELEASE Filed Aug. 7, 92 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented June 28, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIANT SANDO AND THOMAS E. GEORGE, 015 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO BRIANT SPECIALTY COMIANY, INCORPORATED, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A

CORPORATION OF INDIANA GAME BALL RELEASE Application filed August 7, 1929. Serial No. 383,995.

This invention relates to games in which balls are employed to make scores and in which the balls are automatically returned to a ball race terminating'near the players 5] position.

An object of this invention is to provide such a device for play in parks and public places by the payment of a fee as live cents for the privilege of playing a given number of balls, and to provide means for releasing to the player a predetermined number of balls upon the proper deposit by him of the requisite coin in the device.

A further object is to provide a simple and easily released ball delivering device in which the balls will not become jammed and which will accurately release to the player the advertised number of balls.

e accomplish the above and other objects which will hereinafter appear in the specification and claims by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in outside elevation of the lower portion of a race for the reception of balls which have been played and returned to that end which is next to the player. Parts are broken away to show the interior construction.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same portion illustrated in Fig. 1. In this View a part of the coin control box is broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing a detail of the coin control mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view similar to that of Fig. 2, with the cover of the ball race removed to show the interior; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the dash lines 55 of Figs. 2'and 4.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views of the drawings.

A box 6, rectangular in cross section, contains a ball race 7, coming from the end of the gaming apparatus opposite the players station and sloping downwardly toward the player, causing the balls (shown in dotted circles in Figs. 4 and 5) to roll down by gravity. This ball race 7 is here shown as of 0 channel iron which serves to center the balls in the box. It discharges the balls upon a fixed platform 8 which slopes sideways to a longitudinal opening 9 in the infier wall of the box 6, such that when there is not-hing to hold them back the balls will roll off of the platform 8 and through opening 9, into a ball race 10, extending longitudinally of the alley 11 below the top surface of the latter, where they will be easily accessible to the player. A bar 12, fixed at one end to the top of the box 6 and at its other end to the end of said box, extends parallel with the platform 8 at a suitable distance above the platform, to keep the balls from piling up on each other while allowing ample room for their free movement upon the platform 8.

A movable bar 13 normally obstructs the ball discharge opening from the box 6. This bar 13 is pivotally suspended by equal parallel links 14 and 15 thereby permitting the bar to be swung upwardly and out of opposition to the balls which are then free to roll down from the platform 8 andout into race 10.

The link 14 is fixed on a shaft 16 which has an arm 17 keyed to its end. The arm 17 is connected by an arm 18 with a lever 19. The lower end of the lever 19 is pivoted to the box 6 and the upper end of the lever extends out and above the box within easy reach of a player, whereby, by a suitable throw of the lever the bar 13 may be swung up out of interference with the balls.

The apparatus as here shown is made to deliver siX balls at a time, but it may be constructed to deliver more or less than six. It

is desirable that more balls than actually required in play be held within the apparatus, so that should one or more become displaced or lost during play, the next operator will have the full number he has paid for.

To hold back the series of balls in the box 6, above the six to be discharged by a throw of the lever 19, we mount a transverse shaft 20 in box 6, on which are fixed two arms, one on each side of ball race, 7, having curved upwardly directed fingers 21 and 22, respectively, which move up between a superimposed pair of balls when shaft 20 is rocked and hold the upper one and those behind it on the race 7, from rolling down when the balls below said fingers are discharged across platform 8 into race 10. This movement of the fingers into holding position is timed by connecting a crank arm 23, on shaft 20 with the lever by a connecting bar 54. The balls are so adjusted in position on race 7 and platform 8 that the fingers 21 and 22 will swing up accurately above the sixth ball, by means of an adjustable stop block 24 located at the lower end of the balls. A standard 25 fastened to the platform 8 has a hole through which passes a threaded bolt 26, on which the block is mounted. The bolt is adjustable longitudinally through standard 25 to position the block by the nuts 27 and 28.

In the operation of this ball regulation, the balls will roll down the races 7 and 8 until they are arrested by the contact of the leading ball with the stop block 25, and if it is found by trial that the fingers 21 and 22 when swung upwardly by a manual movement of lever 19, through connection by lever 54, arm 23 and shaft 20, do not swing up freely and properly between the balls for the desired operation the position of the balls is changed by moving the block 25 by means of the nuts on bolt 26, until the fingers do make the desired cut-off.

The mechanism as thus far described requires the services of an attendant to collect fees and release balls as paid for, but in practice we prefer to lock the lever 19 by a coin controlled mechanism, which will be released upon the deposit of a suitable coin and the lever operated by the player or person who has deposited the coin.

Our coin control is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which 30 is a coin case fastened to and upon the top of the box 6.

It has a horizontal partition or fioor 31 separating a money box for the accumulation of coins. from an upper mechanism chamber, in the side wall of which, next to the lever 19, is a horizontal slot 32, forming a slideway and guide for a block 33. having a trunnion 34L connecting with the lever 19 by passing through a'vertical slot 35 (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) in lever 19. An extension of the block has a chute through it vertically in which a coin 36 is deposited after insertion through chute 42 and is held halfway out by contact with a coin-track 37 which leads to a vertical chute 38 discharging to the money box.

A locking lever 39 is pivoted at one end to the coin housing and at its other end rests loosely upon the block 33. Lever 39 has the under side notch 40 near its free end which engages with the corner of the block exten sion to limit the movement of the lever 19, except when a suitable coin is in the extension. Then the coin raises the lever 39 out of engagement with the block extension allowing the lever 19 to be moved over its full are which action releases the lower six balls. In this movement of the lever the coin is carried into position over the chute 38 through which it will drop, the weight of the lever 39 tending to force the coin downwardly. Any attempt to move the lever 19 back and forth to juggle the balls is prevented by the contact of a second underside notch 41 on lever 39 with the block extension, now that the lever 39 is lowered by the discharge of the coin.

The operation of the coin control and also of the ball scoring mechanism has been so fully described with the detailed description that further explanation is unnecessary.

Having thus fully described our invention what we claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a gaming device in which balls are employed having a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality, means for discharging a predetermined number of balls simultaneously from the race, means for normally retaining them on the race comprising a movable bar pivotally suspended by equal parallel links and control means for releasing the normal retaining means by moving the bar out of the paths of the balls by swinging the bar on the parallel links.

2. In a gaming device in which balls are employed having a bail race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality, means for discharging a predetermined number of balls simultaneously from the race, means for normally retaining them on the race comprising a movable bar pivotally suspended by equal parallel links and control means for releasing the normal retaining means by moving the bar out of the paths of the balls by swinging the bar on the parallel links, means for locking said control means, and controlled means for unlocking it.

3. In a gaming device in which balls are employed having a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality by gravity, means for discharging a predetermined plurality of balls simultaneously from the race, means for normally retaining them on the race comprising a movable bar, control means for releasing the normal retaining means by moving the bar out of the paths of the balls, and means for holding all of the balls over said predetermined number against the action of gravity while said balls are being discharged by said discharging means comprising a rock shaft, fingers carried by the shaft and movable across the race by the movement of the shaft, and means to rocl the shaft by the movement of the control means.

4. In a gaming device in which balls are employed having a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality by gravity, means for discharging simultaneously a predetermined plurality of said balls nearest to the player from the race, means for normally retaining them on the race comprising a movable bar, control means for releasing the normal retaining means by moving the bar out of the paths of the balls, and means for holding the rest of the balls against the action of gravity while the lower balls are being discharged by said discharging means comprising a rock shaft, fingers carried by the shaft and movable across the race by the movement of the shaft, and means to rock the shaft by the movement of the control means, means for locking said control means, and coin controlled means for unlocking it.

5. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a box having a longitudinal side opening near one end, a platform in the box, a ball race in the box inclined downwardly toward said platform, said platform being obliqued laterally down to the side opening to discharge balls received thereon simultaneously through the opening, a movable bar pivotally suspended by parallel links normally between the balls and opening to prevent said discharge, and means for moving the bar on the parallel links, up out of interference with the balls allowing them to discharge by gravity from the sloping platform.

6. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a box having a longitudinal side opening near one end, a platform in the box, a ball race in the boX inclined downwardly toward said platform, said platform being obliqued laterally down to the side opening to discharge balls received thereon simultaneously through the opening, a movable bar pivotally suspended by parallel links normally between the balls and opening to prevent said discharge, and means for moving the bar on the parallel links, up out of interference with the balls allowing them to discharge by gravity from the sloping platform, means for locking said moving means, and coin controlled means for unlocking it.

7 In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a box having a longitudinal side opening near one end, a platform in the box, a ball race in the box inclined downwardly toward said platform, said platform adapted to receive a limited number of balls thereon from said race and being obliqued laterally down to said side opening to discharge balls through the opening, a movable bar pivotally suspended by parallel links normally between the balls and the opening to prevent said discharge, and means for moving the bar on the parallel links, up out of interference with the balls allowing them to discharge by gravity from the sloping platform, and means for holding balls from rolling down the race While the said limited number of balls are discharging.

8. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a box having a longitudinal side opening near one end, a platform in the box, a ball race in the box inclined downwardly toward said platform, said platform receiving thereon balls discharging from said race and being obliqued laterally down to said side opening to discharge its balls simultaneously through the opening, a movable bar suspended on links normally between the balls and the opening, and means for raising the bar out of the paths of the balls.

9. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality by gravity, an oblique platform terminating the race, on which platform a number of balls are supported, means for retaining the balls said means being removable and for discharging a predetermined plural number of said balls simultaneously and laterally from the platform without moving the platform, and means for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while said balls are discharging.

10. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality by gravity, a transversely oblique platform terminating the race, on which platform a number of balls are supported, means i for retaining the balls said means being removable and for discharging simultaneously a predetermined plural number of said balls from the platform without moving the platform, andmeans for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while said balls are discharging comprising movable fingers.

11. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players locality by gravity, a transversely oblique plat form terminating the race, a movable bar retaining the balls on the platform, means for discharging a predetermined plural number of balls simultaneously from the platform by raising the bar, and means for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while the lower balls are discharging, said means comprising a rock shaft, arms on the 115 shaft and fingers on the arms to swing between a pair of balls by rocking of the shaft.

12. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players local- 120 ity by gravity, means for discharging a pre determined number of balls simultaneously laterally from the race, and means for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while said balls are discharging compris- 125 ing a rock shaft, arms on the shaft and fingers on the arms to swing between a pair of balls by the rocking of the shaft, and a lever operating the ball discharging means and simultaneously rocking the rock-shaft, said lever 130 being fulcrumed independently of the ball holding and ball discharging means. 7

13. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players 1ocality by gravity, means for discharging a predetermined number of balls simultaneously from the race, means above the discharging balls for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while the lower balls are discharging and means comprising an adjustable member at the lower end of the race for varying the positions of the balls in the race to cooperate properly with said holding means.

14. In a gaming device in which balls are employed, a ball race on which balls after being played are returned to the players local ity by gravity, means for discharging a predetermined number of said balls simultaneously from the race, and means above the discharging balls for holding the rest of the balls from rolling down the race while said balls are discharging, and adjustable means for varying the positions of said predetermined number of balls to coordinate with the ball holding means comprising a stop block at the lower end of the race, a standard, a threaded bolt attached to the block and passing through the standard and nuts on the bolts on each side of the standard.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

BRIANT SANDO. THOMAS E. GEORGE. 

